Thoughts, observations, musings, encouragements, exhortations, and occasional rants from an Anglican Deacon and Christian Citizen of the American Republic.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

August 6, 1945: 0814 Hours

Mrs. Enola G. Tibbets could have very easily lived out her life in complete ubiquity. That is, if her son Paul had chose to give his B-29 Super Fortress another name. He didn't and now at 0814 hours, she and two other Super Fortresses, Necessary Evil and The Great Artiste, were cruising high in the Troposphere above mainland Japan. In sixty seconds, the world most of our grandparents knew would be irrevocably changed. In the next 57 seconds, 130 pounds of enriched uranium dove towards the earth to its appointment 2,000 feet above Hiroshima. In the next moment, 80,000 souls would vanish from our planet along with most of a Japanese industrial city. An equal number were gravely injured. Another 200,000 souls would perish in the ensuing five years, a direct result of the "little boy" who visited on the morning of the sixth.

Sixty four years ago today, the grim boogeyman that stalked the babyboomers was born. Save for Nagasaki, this dark genie was been kept in its grim bottle. Still, we grew up in the bomb's shadow, and the shadow of the ever present image of the Fallout Shelter sign. Those signs have either disappeared or have now rusted beyond recognition. Even movies like "The Day After" have a faint nostalgic feel for some.

I fear that as August 6, 1945 fades into the history texts, the naked horror of nuclear war fades with it. Yet today, despots, terrorists and their ilk are scrambling to amass their own stash of nuclear weapons. the grainy photographs from Hiroshima and Nagasaki have no meaning to these dark souls. Too, I feel that there are too many who fail to comprehend the dire consequences of Jihadists obtaining even a relatively low yield nuclear device.

About Me

Which Church Father are you?

You’re St. Melito of Sardis!

You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins.